You see it in small towns and big cities all over the world, from teenagers to 70-year-old men, the twitchiness and sideways glances as the city-limit sprint draws near. Sprinting is one of the primary components of cycling, for racers and recreational riders alike, but it's often neglected in training programs.

Even Lance had to work on sprinting. When he was a young rider, he had a strong finish--he won his first Tour de France stage in 1993, at age 21, in a sprint from a breakaway group. But when his post-cancer focus shifted to winning the yellow jersey, sprinting took a back seat to climbing and time-trial training, and by 2003 I was worried about his explosive power. During his preparation for the 2004 Tour de France, the sixth he would win, I reintroduced sprint workouts into his training program. There are two primary components to a powerful sprint--acceleration and top-end speed--and after working on both that winter, Lance sprinted to victories in three of the five stages he won in that year's Tour de France.

But don't think of sprint training as useful only at the finish line. It's also critical for bridging gaps, initiating breakaways, attacking on short climbs and accelerating out of turns during criteriums. It can also save your hide: In my 30-plus years on a bike, a quick sprint has saved me from being caught by dogs and hit by drivers running red lights at least as many times as it helped me win races. Here are two simple workouts you can use to power up your sprint.

Start Like a Rocket

A quick and powerful acceleration snaps rivals off your rear wheel. When you master this initial part of the sprint, you can instantly open a one- to two-bike-length gap to the pack behind you, which is quite a head start.

The key is Speed Accelerations, or sets of three 15-second sprints at different resistance levels, which will help you develop the agility, power and technique necessary to ramp up your speed on any terrain. You'll be able to accelerate from a slow speed on a climb, from high speed on a descent and at the finish line--all in the same day. Beginners should do two sets, intermediates (Cat 3s and Masters) should do three, and advanced riders should be able to complete four. Allow three to five minutes of easy recovery spinning between each sprint, and 10 minutes of recovery between sets.

Sprint 1: Shift your gears to the small chainring and 16-17 cog. Roll at 10-12 mph with your hands in the drops. Jump out of the saddle and sprint. You'll spin out the gear quickly. Then, sit down and focus on keeping your cadence high to the finish.

Sprint 2: Same as Sprint 1, but in the big chainring and 16-17 cog.

Sprint 3: Same as Sprint 1, but in the big chainring and 14-15 cog.

Leave Them Fighting for Second A sprint can be won with an excellent jump, but it can just as easily be lost with inadequate top-end speed. To prevent someone from passing you in the final 20 meters, focus on High Speed Sprints.

Because real-world sprints often start from speeds well above your normal 15-18 mph cruising pace, you need to start High Speed Sprints from higher speeds as well. Find a hill that levels off onto flat ground in a safe area. Ride downhill so you're going 25-30 mph about 100 meters from the bottom. With your hands in the drops, jump out of the saddle and start sprinting. Continue for 10-12 seconds after you reach flat ground. Even though it will get harder because you don't have gravity's help, try to keep your speed and cadence from dropping. Recover with five minutes of easy riding and repeat. Beginners should start with one set of four, intermediates should build up to two sets of four, and advanced riders should be able to do three sets of four.

These workouts are easy to incorporate into regular endurance rides, and are fun to add to rides with a friend or two. Sneak them in just twice a week, and soon you'll notice that when the hammer drops, you're half a wheel faster--or more. And that can make all the difference.

Chris Carmichael coached Lance Armstrong to seven Tour de France victories and founded Carmichael Training Systems (trainright.com). Next month he'll help you go long with a no-fail century training plan.